


I Can't Explain

by admiralandrea



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Episode Related, Episode Tag, F/M, One Night Stands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23628592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/admiralandrea/pseuds/admiralandrea
Summary: Callen uses a guys night out to prove a point to Deeks
Relationships: G Callen/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	I Can't Explain

**Author's Note:**

> Tag for S2E7 "Anonymous" but inspired by a comment Deeks makes in S2E6 "Stand Off" about Tracy Keller being "too hot" for Callen.

When they get back to the office and Hetty confronts them in their suits, Callen has a moment of doubt; he isn’t sure if she is going to suggest she comes with them or nix the plan altogether. Fortunately, she does neither but agrees to them going out. 

“Back by midnight, just like Cinderella, though!” she admonishes them with a wag of her finger.

Sam and Deeks join Callen in a chorus of agreement and they turn to leave.

“Oh Mr Callen,” she calls and he fakes a sigh as he stops.

Sam and Deeks give him sympathetic looks. “Text me where we’re going, I’ll bring my own car,” he tells them. 

“What?” Deeks looks surprised at that.

“Really G?” Sam adds, his tone of long suffering perfected after years of their partnership.

Hetty shoos them away and they go reluctantly. Callen turns back to her and grins. “Thanks Hetty!”

“Well, Mr Deeks needs the lesson,” she tells him, holding out the same credit card she’d once given him for their trip to Balm. “Same limit though,” she adds.

Callen nods. “$5k will be plenty.”

“And don’t damage my wardrobe!” she tells him sternly as he starts to walk away.

He turns back with a mock wounded look, hand on his heart. “Have I ever?” he asks. Her expression has him hastily turning back around and hurrying down the tunnel. He doesn’t have time for her to recite all the incidents where he has come back in less than stellar condition.

*

Callen has just reached his car when he gets a text alert on his phone. It’s Deeks telling him they’re going to Four-Twenty. Callen grimaces in memory of the case where they’d first encountered Deeks and a guy who’d bled out in the alleyway next to the club.

He knows Sam would prefer a jazz club and he’d prefer something different himself, but for his plan to work, Deeks has to know that none of it was set up in advance. So he gets in his car and heads downtown.

Once inside the club, it is easy to spot his partner in the crowd and he moves through the press of bodies to the booth where Sam is waiting.

“Where’s Deeks?” Callen looks around for the blonde detective.

Sam smirks. “I told him the first round was on him.”

Callen smirks back. 

“So tell me G, what’s going on?” Sam adds.

Callen gives him an innocent look. “Why would anything be going on?”

“Come on G, this is me. You got Hetty to agree to us going out in designer wardrobe. You’re obviously up to something.”

Callen shakes his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Fortunately, Deeks reappears at that moment, so Sam can’t question him any further.

“About time!” Sam gestures impatiently for Deeks to hand over a bottle.

“Man it’s busy tonight!” Deeks exclaims, as he flops into the booth next to Sam, jostling his arm.

Sam glares at him, so Deeks hastily shuffles away and Callen smirks as he sips at his beer. Deeks still isn’t sure about his partner.

As they drink, they talk a little about sports, before Deeks gets up to dance and Sam goes to get the next round. Callen takes the opportunity to scope out the rest of the clientele, eyes landing on a nearby table, where a giggling group of women sit.

One of them looks up and catches his eye, so he smiles. He can tell even in the darkness of the club that she is blushing as she smiles back. He thinks she would be perfect for his plan, so makes sure to keep looking over, even when Sam comes back with the new round of drinks and then Deeks reappears.

When it’s Callen’s turn to buy a round, he deliberately passes as close to the table of women as possible. Just as he gets there, someone bumps him from behind and he stumbles into the woman he has been exchanging glances with. Her drink is mostly gone, so she doesn’t get too wet. He still uses it as an excuse to offer napkins as he apologizes.

“Let me at least buy you another drink,” he insists, as she demurs.

The rest of the table is giggling at him, so Callen turns his best helpless gaze on them and it works.

“Go on Shanice,” one of them says and the rest quickly chime in as well.

Callen is pleased, because he now knows her name without having done any of the work.

“Okay,” Shanice finally capitulates and Callen manages to reign in his triumphant smile, making it relieved instead.

Callen holds out his arm and she looks surprised, before going along with him. “What’ll it be?” he asks as they reach the bar and he signals the bartender.

The large bill he is holding ensures the guy comes over promptly. “Oh, I’m not sure,” Shanice looks surprised.

Callen looks at the bartender. “A Manhattan for the lady and a Black Russian for me,” he says. “Plus two pitchers of margaritas and a pitcher of whatever’s on tap.”

“Sure,” the bartender nods and gets to work.

Callen turns back to Shanice. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks as she smiles at him.

“Honestly, I’m fine,” she says. “Shanice, by the way, in case you didn’t get it back there.”

He smiles and takes her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. When he glances up, she is blushing again, but looks pleased. “Shanice,” he says. “Call me Ivan.”

“Ivan? You don’t sound Russian,” she says with a giggle.

Callen keeps smiling. “My father was,” he lies easily, falling into the cover is second nature to him. His phone vibrates in his pocket. “Excuse me one moment.”

Shanice nods as he pulls it out and sees a text from Sam, telling him to hurry up. He frowns and types a quick reply. “Your drinks sir.” The bartender’s voice gets his attention and he looks up to hand over his credit card.

“Let me get those for you sir.” A waitress appears at his side, taking the tray of pitchers, as Callen hands Shanice her cocktail.

Callen nods thanks and slips a bill to the waitress, pointing her in the right direction. Then he turns back to Shanice, grabbing his own drink.

“Here’s to a better end to the night,” he toasts.

Shanice gives him a coy smile as she raises her glass. “Here’s to spilled drinks.”

They clink glasses and then both drink. “So what do you do Ivan?” Shanice asks, as she sets her glass back on the bar.

Callen slides in to the back story that was created for the Darva case easily and he can tell Shanice is impressed. He doesn’t say much though, instead turning it on her.

“Enough about me, what do you do Shanice?” he asks smoothly.

With a simpering smile and toss of long blonde hair over her shoulder, she launches into a monologue about herself. Callen maintains his interested look, while keeping alert to his surroundings like normal, so that when he is bumped from behind he knows exactly who it is.

“Watch it!” He says. Then. “Oh, Tim.”

Fortunately, Deeks picks up on the name he’d used for the Darva case. “Yeah, Tim. The friend you’re supposed to be hanging out with tonight.”

Callen smirks. “As you can see, I found someone far more beautiful to talk to.” He takes Shanice’s hand and kisses it like he had earlier.

Deeks rolls his eyes then pastes on a smile when Shanice looks up at him. “I’m Tim,” he says.

She smiles, but doesn’t reach out to take his hand. “Sorry I stole your friend,” she says, blatantly insincere, then turns back to Callen. “Darling, perhaps we should go somewhere a little less crowded.”

Callen smiles widely, she just played into his hands perfectly. “Your place or mine?” He ignores the sharp intake of breath from Deeks as he helps Shanice off her seat and puts a hand on her back.

“You decide,” Shanice tells him with a playful grin.

He grins back. “Well, I’m between residences at the moment, so I’m using my father’s suite at Chateau Marmont. Perhaps your place would be more comfortable?”

Deeks is just audible making noises behind him as Callen guides Shanice away in the direction of the exit. Callen is fairly sure he’s proved his point to the other man, but it might need reinforcing more directly in the morning.

*

When Callen slips out of Shanice’s Hancock Park house and climbs into his car, it is well past the midnight curfew that Hetty had set. He’d sent her a text earlier to let her know he’d be late. Now he pulls his phone out to check and finds a reply in Ancient Greek. It makes him smile, but he doesn’t reply, knowing that even Hetty will be sleeping now.

Callen drives through mostly empty streets back to the office, body sated and relaxed, but mind still restless. He uses the changing rooms off the gym to shower before he dresses gratefully in his own clothes. The tux is all very well, but he feels more relaxed now, knowing that he has returned the suit unscathed.

However, he still feels restless, so rather than go home and sleep, he starts driving through the city. As he goes, Callen tries to figure out what is bothering him. He might not be big on talking to others, especially Nate, but he does try to be honest with himself and understand his own behavior.

As dawn rolls around, Callen is in the Hollywood hills and he finally realizes what the problem is. He doesn’t like the fact that other people now know that Sam has a family. For years, he’d been the only one to know – to be told by Sam at least. Callen is pretty sure that Hetty knows, because she knows most things. But she’s never even referred to it obliquely in his presence. It’s possible Nate knows as well, because it’s a big part of what makes Sam the man he is.

But Callen was the only one that Sam had purposefully told, in the first year of their partnership. It was a sign of trust that had blown Callen away. He’d been careful never to so much as breathe a hint of a rumor about the fact to anyone else in the years since.

And now the whole team knows, because the session with Jillian Leigh was recorded as well as being watched by Kensi and Deeks in real time. Callen continues to drive, musing on the fact that he’s jealous of the fact that other people know this secret. But then he realizes that all they really know is that Sam has kids and one of them is a girl. He is still the only one who knows the rest of the story.

It doesn’t altogether ease his mind, but it does help him to relax a little more and he shakes his head at his own foolishness. His desire to be special to someone had been threatened by Sam letting other people in on the fact of his family and it strikes him as childish on his part.

As he starts to think about heading back to the city and going to work, he gets a text alert on his phone. Callen pulls over to the side of the road to dig it out of his pocket. It’s from Hetty.

“Breakfast at Dovecote” is all the message says, but it’s enough to make Callen smile and he sends an acknowledgement before starting the car again. He’s only ten minutes away from the house and wonders how Hetty knew that. Then he reminds himself of what he’d thought earlier, about her all-knowing nature and decides to roll with it. Breakfast sounds pretty good right about now and then he can decide how he’s going to deal with Deeks when he gets to work later.

*

After breakfast, Hetty consents to ride into work with him. “I was planning on staying at Ancora tonight anyway,” she says.

Callen nods. He knows Hetty sleeps somewhere different nearly every night and can relate to that impulse. He might have a house now, but he still doesn’t sleep and because of his various covers, he often spends nights elsewhere anyway.

“So do you believe you got through to Mr Deeks last night?” Hetty goes on to ask.

They hadn’t discussed the previous night over breakfast, much to his relief. There are some things he just doesn’t want to talk to his boss, mentor and erstwhile mother figure about ever.

“I don’t know,” he says in answer to her question. “I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”

She hums in agreement. “And Sam?” she is less formal with him outside of work.

Callen snorts. “Well, he’ll either be totally pissed off or congratulating me on doing something normal for a change. Either way, it should help me work out whether Deeks is clued in or not.”

“Indeed,” she agrees with him and then changes the subject entirely, allowing Callen to relax a little, now that the potential for embarrassment has passed.

*

Callen is at his desk doing his least favorite thing, filling out paperwork, when the rest of the team start to arrive. Kensi is first and they exchange greetings, before she brings him a cup of coffee.

“Thanks,” he says in appreciation. He’d had a cup of tea with Hetty when they arrived but his brain needs the caffeine if he is going to get through the endless form filling.

“Good night?” Kensi asks, as she settles beside him with her own coffee and paperwork.

He nods, already focussed back on his latest report. “How was the male bonding with Deeks?” she adds.

A snort from Sam gets Callen’s head back up again. “He ditched,” his partner announces as he puts his bags down.

Kensi glances between them. “Ditched?”

“Picked up a woman,” Sam clarifies.

Callen scowls, but doesn’t say anything. Kensi’s head has swiveled back towards him. “You picked up a woman in a club?”

“You don’t have to sound that surprised,” Callen protests.

“I just didn’t think that was your sort of thing,” Kensi defends.

Sam snorts again. “It’s not,” he agrees.

“How would you know?” Callen demands.

“Come on G, in all the years we’ve been partners, you have never picked up a woman in a bar and gone home with her before.”

Kensi pushes her chair back, clearly fascinated. “So what was she like?’

“She was a smoking hot blonde.” And there is Deeks, right on cue.

Callen tries to ignore them all, even though he knows it’s pointless. “Smoking hot?” Kensi queries.

Deeks holds out his phone and Kensi makes a “gimme” motion, so Deeks throws it across to her. There’s a photo of Shanice on the screen.

“When did you take that?” Callen demands, annoyed he hadn’t known.

“You went to the men’s room,” Sam says, “So he took his chance.”

That makes Callen feel a little bit better. “She is hot,” Kensi agrees. “Which shows you were wrong Deeks.”

“About what?” 

“When you said Tracy Keller was too hot for Callen.”

Deeks protests. “I never said that!”

“Yes you did.” Sam speaks up and Callen just lets them get on with it, happy his plan is coming to fruition without his help.

Deeks shakes his head. “I don’t remember.”

“In Ops,” Kensi tells him. “You said ‘she looks way too hot for you’.”

Deeks just shrugs. “So what?”

“So clearly Callen can pick up hot chicks if he wants to.”

“Well, it’s good to see you’re all up together with your paperwork, but it seems rather odd none of it is in my inbox.”

Hetty’s remark as she appears behind Deeks makes him jump. Even Sam looks surprised and Kensi flinches too. Callen had known she was coming though, so he doesn’t react.

The others all mumble apologies and reach for their laptops. Callen just signs off on the report he’d been finishing during their discussion and sends it on it’s way, giving Hetty a small smile as she nods at him, before continuing back to her office. He considers it a job well done.

*

Later, when he and Sam are stuck in the Challenger on a stake out, Sam can’t resist bringing it up again, though.

“So you happy now?” he asks.

Callen is stretched out as much as he can in his seat, eyes closed, trying to rest. There’s only one way to get to this warehouse, meaning it was easy for Sam to find a spot for them to watch and not be seen. It also means they’re taking it in turns to be vigilant.

Callen sighs and opens his eyes briefly. “Happy about what?” No point in making this easy for Sam, he’d be suspicious if Callen did.

“Last night, proving a point to Deeks.”

“Who says that was what I was doing?” Callen asks. “Maybe I just wanted to get laid.”

Sam snorts loudly at that. “You mean you’re admitting to something as normal as sexual urges?”

Callen sighs and reaches for a Tootsie Pop, resigned to this conversation. He automatically hands the wrapper to Sam to fold into some new shape. “Maybe,” he finally says.

“Even if that was true, you wouldn’t find someone on a guys work night out.”

Callen stares at his partner. “Why would you say that?” he is genuinely curious.

Sam continues to watch the warehouse, even though they think their target has probably fled the country and is unlikely to appear. Knowing Hetty, that was why she sent them out here.

“Because that’s not the type of guy you are G, so you had to have some sort of ulterior motive and showing up Deeks for that stupid comment about Tracy Keller. Rossetti, whatever her name is, is the only reason I can think of.”

Callen thinks Sam’s ear should be burning, the way he’s currently staring a hole in the side of his partner’s head. He wrenches his gaze away and focusses on his lollipop instead.

“And what if that were true?” he asks, hating that he sounds nervous as he asks.

Sam turns to look at him. “I agree that Deeks needed to learn that lesson, but you could have told me beforehand.”

Callen shrugs. “It wasn’t really planned. The whole night out thing came up and I thought it would be a good idea.”

“Hetty was in on it though,” Sam says confidently. “It’s the only reason why she’d agree to letting us go out in wardrobe like that.”

Callen nods agreement, but doesn’t say anything more. He has his eyes trained on the warehouse now that Sam is watching him instead.

“Next time, let me know,” is all Sam says, before turning away again and Callen lets out his breath, feeling almost limp with relief that Sam isn’t mad at him.

His phone rings right then and Callen fishes it out. “Eric,” he answers. “What’s the word?”

Sam has turned to him again as Callen listens to Eric say they’ve confirmed their target had flown out of LAX two days ago and they can come on back. Callen agrees and ends the call. He can’t help shaking his head and smiling as he puts the phone away.

Sam is starting the car but still asks, “What?”

“Hetty,” is all Callen says, knowing she’d engineered this whole stake out so that he and Sam would talk. 

“You think she bugged the car?” Sam asks and although his tone is amused, he’s also not entirely joking.

Callen looks at him. “It’s Hetty,” is all he says.

Sam nods and gets them on the road back to the office and Callen knows that’s it, last night’s little adventure is done with and will hopefully now be forgotten.

“So are you seeing her again?” Or maybe not quite done. Sam gives him a quick glance at a stop light when he doesn’t reply. “Yeah, silly me,” Sam answers himself. “I bet you didn’t even give her your number. And you definitely didn’t give her your real name.”

“Drop it Sam,” Callen says, tone a little sharper than he’d intended.

Sam gives him a longer look this time, so Callen gives him his best interrogation glare. Fortunately, the light finally changes, so Sam is forced to look away first.

“Nothing wrong with wanting a little female companionship G,” Sam tells him as he heads down the freeway.

“I’m not you,” is all Callen says.

Sam purses his lips, but doesn’t say anything more and the rest of the journey back to the office is made in silence. It’s not heavy, but it’s not as relaxed as usual either. Callen just hopes that Sam will get distracted by something else and really forget about it for at least a little while. The subject of him and a girlfriend will doubtless reappear in the future – just like it had with Agent Giordano of the Secret Service – but Callen is resigned to the odd comment. He knows it means that Sam cares about him and he can live with that.

And with that thought in mind, Callen reaches out to the radio, putting on Sam’s favorite jazz channel, even though he hates it. It’s a small gesture but one he knows his partner will appreciate it. They exchange a smile and with that, the atmosphere in the car goes back to normal. Now it really is done.

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure this is really that good or that it worked out exactly how I planned, but hopefully people will read and enjoy anyway!


End file.
